Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas

 Dd decided to make a gingerbread house this Advent. The recipe will become a family favorite as it has all the qualities that gingerbread should have, moist, flavorful with spices including black pepper, and strong enough to take shape and stand well.

too much sugar perhaps?

paper-chain expert

a calligraphy gift just completed

these are for someone who likes owls from youngest brother

A taste of summer

 We are all delighted to have Mel back with us for the holidays.

And what would summer be without a spot of tennis.....pole tennis that is!

Advent lights

 Every year we visit a particular suburban street that is "well-lit" for the Advent season.








 Along with other cars we drive slowly past each display.

We note what is new this year.





We speculate as to the "flavour" for this year.










We each choose our favourie display.
We laugh together,

we share jokes and tell funny stories about the lights.

In short we enjoy ourselves.

There is usually one display though that leaves us just a little perplexed. Could someone please explain the significance of Santa and the elephant!!?!

Picture Book Advent :The Fir Tree by Margaret Wise Brown

The Little Fir Tree

 Copybook Phrase:I’m not too little and not too big. Not too stiff ,nor yet too limber. A beautiful little green fir tree. Just the tree for Christmas to grow with.

No new activity but phrase could be attached to our Christmas tree.

A sweet story by one of our favourite picture book authors: Margaret Wise Brown.(aka “Goodnight Moon “ fame)

Keeping Joy

Joy to the world! the Lord will come
And earth receive her King:
Let ev’ry heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and angels sing,
And Heaven and angels sing,
And Heaven and Heaven and angels sing.

Original Video - More videos at TinyPic

Beans in Hollyhock house

Our beans have been a great success this year. Holly hock house has them trailing ever upwards...Jack and the bean stalk?!

A Solo on Sunday

Dill Pickle Rag @ Yahoo!7 Video

Appologies for the bumpy recording, I guess I need to use a stand rather than just holding the camera. The piece is called Dill Pickle Rag.There were only 4 solos in the concert and this was one.

Saint Lucy

It starts off with a slow procession from room to room...all is in darkness
           as we enter a space we pray and ask God's blessing on it and on the people who use it.

              as we walk we sing those well-remembered hymns of waiting

                      amidst all this is one who returns secretly to the living room
                                so that when we enter it finally

                                       all is alight       with

candle light

a treat specially cooked for this feast day also awaits us

may the simple light of St Lucy's faith light our Advent to the Christ child in whom is all light

Gaudete (Joyous) Sunday and the Pope wears Pink!

This 3rd Sunday of Advent is  known as "Gaudete Sunday" (Gaudete meaning Latin  for "rejoice!"). It's the day on which we light the pink(rose) colored candle on the Advent wreath, and the day on which the priest wears pink/rose vestments for Mass.  This signals a moment of excitement in our Advent preparations; we have crossed over the halfway point of the Advent season and the nearness of Christ's presence brings with it the joy of expectation.

Original Video- More videos at TinyPic
                                                     this video is from our final violin concert of the year and labeled "reel of Joy" hence its place in this post

"As we light the third candle on our advent wreath we can:
Pray for the joy Christ's coming promises...
Pray for the joy that survives life's trials...
Pray for the joy the lonely thirst for...
Pray for the joy only peace can bring...
Pray for the joy that smiles even in grief...
Pray for the joy that is deep, not passing...
Pray for the joy that helps us see beyond the moment...
Pray for the joy only God can give us...
Pray for the joy others invite us to share...
Pray for the joy others wait for me to share...
Pray for the joy others wait to share with me..." (reference)

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Our Lady of Guadalupe: The Patroness of the Unborn

"The very vivid vision described in Revelations chapter 12 has particular meaning for everyone in the Americas since the appearance of Our Lady to Saint Juan Diego took the same form as what is described in that reading.

“...a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child...” (Rev 12:1-2)

This is the image Our Lady left on St Juan Diego’s tilma. The Virgin is clothed with the sun, standing on the moon, and has a crown of twelve stars. She is pregnant and therefore Our Lady of Guadalupe is revered as Patroness of the Unborn."
                                           Adapted from a homily by Father Tommy Lane from this site 

Our meal for this feast day was Mexican. The boys always find the rolling of the tortillas exhausting great fun! But the meal has always been eaten with enthusiasm.

Blueberry muffins with rose icing completed the celebration

Saint Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe

                            
 We combined the celebrations for the Our Lady of Guadalupe and  Saint Juan Diego on Thursday. We chose to do this because  the celebration of the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe would normally occur on the 12th December and this year the 12th December is the date that the third Sunday of Advent occurs on. Naturally Mary's mission is only ever to lead us to her son and so the celebration of this particular Sunday(Gaudete) takes precedence)


Below is the recipes we use for  our Mexican meal
 
                           Flour Tortillas
• 3 c unbleached flour (or whole wheat, or regular all-purpose, if that’s what you’ve got)
• 2 t baking powder
• 1 t salt
• ¼ c (plus a little (1-2 T) extra – no need to measure exactly) vegetable shortening
• 1 to 1 ¼ c warm water
Sift the dry ingredients together into a large bowl. Add the shortening, and mix them together until the shortening is evenly incorporated.

Next, add the warm water a little at a time, tossing together until the mixture forms a soft dough that is not sticky. Go ahead and knead it a few times, adding a sprinkling of flour if needed, to make it smooth.


Now divide the dough into 12 evenly-sized balls, and let rest for 10-15 minutes, while you straighten up and set up your work area for rolling out!


Here’s how we do it: Each “roller” gets a piece of parchment or “press-and-seal” (sticky side down) sprinkled with a little flour. One dough ball is lightly flattened in the center of the paper, then sprinkled with a little more flour. On top of this, a piece of plastic wrap is carefully laid across. Then roll out a circle – starting each roll in the center. It helps if the first few rolls are done somewhat lightly, until a reasonably circular shape is achieved – though, of course, perfection is unnecessary. Roll them fairly thin, or to about 8-10” in diameter.

Then flip the two layers of paper with the tortilla in between upside down, and carefully peel off the parchment for re-use; the unbaked tortilla is then placed, plastic-wrap side down, in a pile with each of the other tortillas as they are rolled. If desired, a moist paper towel can be placed lightly on top of the pile to keep the top tortilla from drying out. (If you find that the tortillas are sticking to either paper, just use a little more flour when rolling out.)


Once the rolling is well-underway, heat a 12-15” dry frying pan over medium to medium-high heat. It should be well-heated and ready by the time the last tortilla is rolled.


Each tortilla is then peeled off the plastic wrap, and placed in the hot, ungreased pan to be cooked on each side. The tortilla may bubble slightly and appear slightly dry as it bakes, and will have brown speckles on the underside when it is ready to flip/remove. It will take less than a minute on each side, so watch them carefully!

Steak fajitas with avocado and tomato salsa

Ingredients (serves 4)

•            700g beef rump steak, trimmed, cut into strips

•            1 tablespoon olive oil

•            2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce

•            12 x 20cm flour fajitas or tortillas

•            1 1/2 cups grated tasty cheese

•            1 baby cos lettuce, shredded

•            Sour cream, to serve

Avocado and tomato salsa

•            250g grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered

•            2 green onions, trimmed, finely sliced

•            1 large avocado, peeled, stone removed, diced

•            2 teaspoons lime juice

Method

1.            Make avocado and tomato salsa Place tomatoes, onions, avocado and lime juice in a glass or ceramic bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine. Cover and set aside.

2.            Place steak, oil and sweet chilli sauce in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine.

3.            Heat a large, non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add steak mixture. Cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes or until browned and just cooked through. Remove to a heatproof bowl. Cover to keep warm.

4.            Meanwhile, heat fajitas or tortillas following packet directions.

5.            Place salsa and steak mixture on table. Place cheese, lettuce and sour cream in separate bowls on table. Place fajitas or tortillas on plates.